Combination Chemotherapy Plus Biological Therapy in Treating Patients With Metastatic Melanoma

You may be eligible if

• DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• Histologically confirmed metastatic melanoma
• * Stage III with intransit metastases
• * Stage IV
• No uncontrolled brain metastases by CT scan
• No clinically significant ascites or pleural effusions
• PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• Age:
• Not specified
• Performance status:
• Karnofsky 70-100%
• Life expectancy:
• At least 10 weeks
• Hematopoietic:
• WBC at least 3,000/mm\^3
• Platelet count at least 100,000/mm\^3
• Hemoglobin at least 9.5 g/dL
• Hepatic:
• Bilirubin no greater than 2.0 mg/dL
• SGOT no greater than 4 times upper limit of normal
• Renal:
• Creatinine no greater than 1.5 mg/dL OR
• Creatinine clearance at least 70 mL/min
• Cardiovascular:
• No clinically significant cardiac disease on EKG, echocardiogram, or MUGA scan
• Pulmonary:
• No clinically significant pulmonary disease on chest x-ray
• Other:
• Not pregnant or nursing
• Negative pregnancy test
• Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• No significant thyroid dysfunction
• No concurrent severe infection
• No other medical or psychiatric condition that would interfere with compliance
• No second malignancy within the past 5 years, except:
• * Localized nonmelanomatous skin cancer
• * Carcinoma in situ of the cervix
• * Grade 1 Ta bladder cancer
• Suspected hearing deficits must undergo audiologic testing
• PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• Biologic therapy:
• No more than one prior immunotherapy regimen
• At least 4 weeks since prior immunotherapy
• Adjuvant interferon alfa before relapse allowed
• Chemotherapy:
• No more than one prior chemotherapy regimen
• At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy (6 weeks since nitrosoureas)
• No concurrent cyclophosphamide
• No other concurrent chemotherapy
• Endocrine therapy:
• No concurrent corticosteroids or cyclosporine A
• Radiotherapy:
• At least 2 weeks since prior radiotherapy
• Surgery:
• At least 3 weeks since major surgery
• Other:
• No concurrent immunosuppressive drugs
• No other concurrent investigational antineoplastic drugs
• Concurrent thyroid replacement therapy allowed